Spray Paint

The homes sit near the intersections of Lehigh Drive and Evergreen and Creek roads. Lehigh Township officer Douglas Geisner said the first call about the vandalism came in it 5 a.m. Saturday and that no one in the homes saw or heard anything. Lehigh Township police said vandals scrawled curse words, racial slurs and a swastika on three homes sometime Friday night into Saturday morning. The homes sit near the intersections of Lehigh Drive and Evergreen and Creek roads. Lehigh Township Police Officer Douglas Geisner said the first call about the vandalism came in at 5 a.m. Saturday and that no one in the homes saw or heard anything.

Two men allegedly stole a Ford Mustang and spray painted it to conceal its original color, but were caught in Macungie Monday night when they were driving with the lights off, according to court records. John D. Emrich, 21, of Mertztown, and Avery J. Karcher, 18, of Macungie, were arraigned Tuesday by District Judge Michael D' Amore on theft and conspiracy charges. Emrich was also charged with resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were sent to Lehigh County Prison under $20,000 bail each.

To the Editor: Allentown Councilwoman Emma Tropiano is at it again! What will she think of next? I do agree that graffiti should not be tolerated, but to try to place a ban on spray paint purchases is a little much. Our society has been unsuccessful in prohibiting stores from selling alcohol, cigarettes and guns to underage children. Now she wants to prohibit stores from selling spray paint to them. I am sure store owners can't wait until they have to record an individual's name and address for that "deadly" spray paint purchase.

The homes sit near the intersections of Lehigh Drive and Evergreen and Creek roads. Lehigh Township officer Douglas Geisner said the first call about the vandalism came in it 5 a.m. Saturday and that no one in the homes saw or heard anything. Lehigh Township police said vandals scrawled curse words, racial slurs and a swastika on three homes sometime Friday night into Saturday morning. The homes sit near the intersections of Lehigh Drive and Evergreen and Creek roads. Lehigh Township Police Officer Douglas Geisner said the first call about the vandalism came in at 5 a.m. Saturday and that no one in the homes saw or heard anything.

LOWER MOUNT BETHEL Unknown vandals hit the Martins Creek Inn and Palmeri Funeral Home in Lower Mount Bethel Township late Thursday or early Friday morning. State police said the inn, at Front and Main streets, and the funeral home, 6602 Alpha Ave., were vandalized with spray paint, doing $500 damage at each location. Funeral director James Palmeri said the vandal spray-painted his moniker on the funeral home's garage doors. Police are investigating. Anyone with information can call state police at Belfast at 866-279-5679 with information.

Pen Argyl police are investigating a rash of spray-paint incidents that took place over the weekend. Chief Joseph Martino said seven borough residents in the area of Main and George streets reported areas of their homes and fences were painted with black paint. The painting did not include racist or other slogans, but was "mostly just dots and lines," according to Martino. Some of the victims told Martino they had been able to remove the paint.

Police suspect spray paint cans may be their link to finding the vandals who desecrated the walls of a Bethlehem church earlier this month. Vandals used black spray paint to draw racial and satanic symbols and to write on two sides and the rear walls of the church. Seventeen windows were also smashed and two wooden crosses were pushed over, according to the police report. The repair bill, which included window repair and sandblasting to remove the paint, was estimated over $3,000, Bethlehem police said.

Allentown City Council's committee of the whole voted last night to recommend banning the sale and purchase of spray paint and permanent markers to anyone under 18, but not require merchants to maintain a log of buyers of such products. The full council will vote on the issue next month. Councilman Ernest Toth argued against requiring a log, citing fears that customers would become annoyed and merchants would lose business. Councilman Terrence Spinosa agreed, saying, "The requirement to make store owners log anything is like punishing the innocent."

Two Bethlehem teens reported to police they were robbed early Monday by four older teens, one armed with a can of spray paint. Dean Sacks, 16, and Rich Wheeler, 15, said they were walking north on 10th Avenue at 2:10 a.m. when they were approached by the four. They said one of the older teens asked for the time, then sprayed black paint in Sacks' face. They then told the two boys to turn around saying "we have knives and guns." The four then went through their pockets and took $105, a $120 pager and a $40 pair of sneakers from Sacks.

Police are searching for the person who spray painted the word "Satan" with an upside down cross on a garage of a North Whitehall Township church. The incident happened sometime between July 12 and Monday at Agape New Testament Fellowship, 5229 Route 873, according to state police at Bethlehem. Agape describes itself on its website as a full gospel church and also operates a food pantry the second day of each month. Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper Mark Hydock at 610-861-2026.

After 30 years using light to paint amid shadows, Allentown artist Vicki DaSilva has finally attracted the spotlight on her art. One of her pieces was selected by online voting out of 35,000 entries as the winner of this year's "Art Takes Times Square" contest, sponsored by the group Artists Wanted. The award brought her a $10,000 check and the privilege of displaying her work at the heart of the Big Apple. Her piece, "Jasmine/Never Sorry (for Ai Weiwei)," is a light graffiti work.

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania State Police are looking for who vandalized a wall outside the Governor's Mansion over the weekend. The words "WOLF PAC" and "FREEDOM > GOVERNMENT" were spray-painted on a wall outside the 40-plus-year-old executive residence on the banks of the Susquehanna River. Sgt. Anthony Manetta, a state police spokesman, said the graffiti was written on a wall on the Front Street side of the residence, which is passed by hundreds of motorists each day. On its web site, Wolf PAC says it opposes the influence of corporate money in politics.

The Berks-Lehigh Regional police said Friday they are investigating 20 incidents of spray-paint vandalism in two residential developments in Upper Macungie Township. Houses were spray-painted with graffiti on Thursday night in the Olde Towne and Windermere developments, police said. Other graffiti appeared at Lone Lane Park. The incidents happened from 11 to 11:30 p.m., police said. Anyone with information can contact police at 610-683-8740 or use the anonymous tip line by dialing the same number and picking option 3. -- Frank Warner

A 23-year-old self-proclaimed artist who spray-painted the word "Nerd" on more than a thousand buildings in Allentown and was the leader of a graffiti group made up mostly of middle school students was slapped with jail time, community service and a big bill Tuesday. Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg sentenced Daniel Latorre of Allentown to one year minus a day to two years minus a day in the county prison. By shaving two days off the sentence, the judge kept it a county sentence instead of a harsher state prison sentence.

A 23-year-old self-proclaimed artist who spray-painted the word "Nerd" on thousands of structures in Allentown and aggravated city officials so badly that the mayor held a news conference with police to announce his arrest has pleaded guilty to felony criminal mischief. Daniel Latorre of Allentown entered the plea before Lehigh County Robert L. Steinberg on Thursday and now faces a maximum sentence of 3 1/2 to seven years in prison when sentenced on Aug. 11. The crime was a third-degree felony because the damage was more than $5,000.

by GARY F. MILLSPAUGH (A free-lance story for The Morning Call) | July 31, 1999

May I water my lawn? You may water your lawn with a spray bottle no bigger than 12 ounces, or a turkey baster. Suggestion: Walk your dog on your own lawn for a change. Or, try green spray paint. A 100-foot by 50-foot lawn requires about 24 cans of spray paint. You won't have to cut it or water it for the rest of the drought. Be careful not to get any paint on the driveway or sidewalks and give away the secret! May I water shrubs, trees, or gardens? Yes, you may water plants, trees and shrubs as long as you dig them up first and water them at a sink in the house.

The Berks-Lehigh Regional police said Friday they are investigating 20 incidents of spray-paint vandalism in two residential developments in Upper Macungie Township. Houses were spray-painted with graffiti on Thursday night in the Olde Towne and Windermere developments, police said. Other graffiti appeared at Lone Lane Park. The incidents happened from 11 to 11:30 p.m., police said. Anyone with information can contact police at 610-683-8740 or use the anonymous tip line by dialing the same number and picking option 3. -- Frank Warner

Two Salisbury High School graduates, including one who played on the football team, are responsible for spray-painting racial slurs on the school stadium's artificial turf and track, police say. Charges were filed Wednesday against Brett M. Gladfelter and Matthew J. Madochick, accusing them of causing the damage March 10. Less than a year ago, the district spent about $800,000 to install the playing surface. Gladfelter and Madochick are both 19, live in Salisbury Township and graduated from Salisbury High in 2008.

A second man has been charged with breaking into the apartments of Lehigh University students and spray-painting obscenities and smearing chocolate syrup and pudding on walls. Carlos Manuel Nazario, 20, whose address is unknown, is charged with burglary, theft, criminal trespass and receiving stolen property in the break-ins that happened May 1 at 229 and 227 E. Fifth St. His cousin, Hipolito Vasquez Jr., 24, of Bethlehem, was arrested earlier this month. According to court records: Nazario said he and Vasquez would walk around the neighborhood looking for a party.